Simons wants freedom of information law and Ombudsman for greater oversight of government

President Jennifer Simons believes that the Wet Openbaarheid van Bestuur (Public Access to Government Information Act) and an Ombudsman must be introduced to give citizens more opportunities to monitor government actions and raise complaints about government agencies. She stressed this on Sunday, October 4, in the programme Welingelichte Kringen on Radio ABC.

According to Simons, the transparency law should enable citizens to request information from the government and ask questions about government decisions and actions. She said there is broad agreement on the need for the law. Draft versions have also already been submitted.

The president stressed that the law must clearly state which information is accessible and which remains confidential. “It is very important not only to establish what information citizens should receive, but also to establish what cannot be disclosed,” she said.

Simons distinguished between transparency in government and the disclosure of confidential information. “Transparency in government, for example, is not the same as leaking matters from the raad van ministers (Council of Ministers). It is not the same.”

According to the president, the establishment of an Ombudsman also remains necessary. This institution must offer citizens an opportunity to lodge complaints about how they have been treated by government agencies or about events within those agencies.

“I personally included the Ombudsman among my election pledges. And it must be introduced,” Simons said.

The president advocates a phased introduction so that the institution is not immediately overwhelmed. According to her, citizens currently face so many problems that a major influx of complaints could hinder the Ombudsman’s functioning.

“You must prevent such an institution from being completely paralysed because 160,000 complaints come in. Then it makes no sense,” she stated.

In an initial phase, complaints could be recorded without creating the expectation among citizens that every problem will be resolved immediately. According to Simons, those reports could also give the government insight into how its agencies function and help expose structural shortcomings.